This Christmas Day, I find myself contemplating hope. It's this incredible thing that can impact every difficult situation in our lives. This season is a true reminder of our ability to hope in the unexpected.
The Christmas story might be one that we zone out on during a church sermon or when watching a Christmas movie. But there is something so uniquely powerful about the hope we find in this story that puts our lives into perspective. I am awed by the unexpected pieces of Christ's birth, like the virgin mother, a king born in a manger, and a poor little baby born to save the world. I think of the power these qualities have in the story. We would still worship Jesus if he was born in a palace and we would still trust in him if Mary and Joseph had been wealthy. We would still find meaning in serving a God who was in a blood line of kings.
But the meaning is so much deeper. Much of my reflections in this blog are about our society and how we treat those who are marginalized. These are the people who we don't see as normal. Marginalized people are the poor, the disabled, and the minorities, just to label a few.
The first part of the Christmas story that amazes me is when I realize that Jesus was in this category too. His mother was the talk of the town because she was pregnant before marriage and his father was just a carpenter, a low- level worker. They were from the lowliest of towns, and they were rejected, with no room, even in an inn.
The other part of the Christmas story that amazes me is the unexpectedness of it all. It was so out of the ordinary, to us. But to God, this was the plan all along.
These two pieces join together to fill my heart with joy today, and I hope they give you joy as well. See, if someone who was an outcast to society was born to save the world and if this whole plan was out of our realm of possibility, then it doesn't matter who we are when we consider the impact we can make on the world. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, white or black, disabled or able, a girl or a guy, or a genius or an average joe. God has plans for all people regardless of the characteristics our human eyes might see.
Then, when we understand our value in God's plan, we add God's unexpected twists in the plots of life. Only then can we truly realize that no matter what difficult circumstances come our way, there is always possibility for change. There is always room for God to do something that seems so bizarre to us but so natural for him that can make even the most painful of struggles end.
So this Christmas and in the new year, remember that you can change the world, no matter who you are, as long as you have God on your side. He's bigger. He's stronger. He's unexpectedly greater than anything we can imagine.
Sing as one,
Sjc
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